“I did it my way” has become more than just the refrain of a popular Frank Sinatra tune. This boast has the motto of our age. Our Western American culture was founded on rugged individualism. While this attitude has yielded substantial benefits from our pioneer ancestors, it has also carried a dark side that threatens to descend into anarchy.
We are told that freedom means setting our own schedule, signing our own paycheck, and planning our own destiny. Freedom, that argument goes, is having no master but ourselves. Yet, upon closer inspection, we discover that this line of thinking is a fallacy.
The Knight is not a lonesome cowboy, journeying alone into the wilderness. No, the Knight is the sworn servant of the true King.
True freedom is not found in the absence of duty. This aversion to responsibility produces nothing noble or admirable.
True freedom is found in building virtue and overcoming vices so that you may easily choose to serve God and neighbor. Think about it: a person’s yes means nothing if they lack the self-control to ever say no.
To make momentous history-changing decisions, we must first make daily sacrifices to train our minds, hearts, and bodies to focus on what matters most. Numerous saint biographies support this point.
Yet, let’s recount the life of a recent American hero. Todd Beamer was the Christian businessman, husband and father who took a transcontinental flight the fateful morning of the 2001 9/11 attacks. He offered his life daily to Christ’s service, reading the Bible, attending prayer groups, and centering his life around God. So, when the time came to reclaim the plane from terrorist hijackers, he readied himself for action, saying, “Let’s roll.” His sacrifice spared the Pentagon from a horrific attack. Yet, if he had not practiced daily virtue, he would not have been free to make that choice.
The Obedience of Christ
None of us knows what the whole of our lives looks like. We know only our past and our situation right now. We know we are on this earth to know, love, and serve God. Yet, we do not invent our own mission. We follow the one who “humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death” (Phil 2:8). If the King of Kings was obedient to the Father, can a Knight be any different?
Obedience is not about being weak, mindless, or robotic. It is about being strong enough to conquer your own pride. St. Bonaventure called obedience “the guardian of charity.” Why? Because pride is the root of all division. When we insist on “our way,” we fracture our families and communities. When we submit to God’s will, we encounter unity.
Deployable for Mission
A soldier who cannot obey orders is useless on the battlefield. If every soldier charged in a different direction, the army would collapse.
Our vow of obedience makes us “deployable.” Because we have surrendered our own will, God can send us anywhere. Whether we are asked to scrub floors, lead a retreat, or pray in silence, we say “Yes.” This willing availability is our strength. It allows God to work through us without our ego creating an obstacle.
The Knight’s Freedom
There is a profound peace in obedience. We do not have to carry the burden of being the “master of our universe.” Instead, we rest while residing in the Father’s Will. As Knights, we declare that His Will is our command.
In His service, we find perfect freedom.